ypsi~dixit

The ever-so-progressive East Lansing has done this for a while at the Great Lakes Folk Fest.....this year there were well over 100 guarded bikes, separated into lettered sections, and all for no fee, just donations. At the same time there were Bike Coalition maps and informational pamphlets free for the taking. I left $5 for my one bike, and saw lots of friends there doing the same. Well worth it. They kept your helmet w/ your bike, a bonus.

Dear sis: That sounds well-organized. Clever of them to turn bike-parking into a fundraiser AND a bike-education tool (maps for future rides).

...and I assume they gave you a receipt. Otherwise you could bring a garage sale special and later say "Yeah...that new $6,000 Pinarello, yessir, that's mine."

My MSU salvage special would certainly be last-picked, that's for sure. Someone also checked their fold-up chairs, whcih I thought was kinda weird.

Dear sis: Actually your bike is quite nice--remember when I tried to convince you to sell it to me? You picked a good one, and MSU salvage, like the AA ReUse Center, is a smart way to pick up an otherwise pricey item. If you keep your eyes open and are savvy enough to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The AF reports that there are bikes at the ReUse Center, which I'm dying to see. My Schwinn is decrepit, and I'm actually really disappointed about that. Bought it new just over a year ago and, granted, rode it hard, but jeez, I expect a $300 bike to last more than a year.

I suspect it was made overseas--thank you, globalization. I need a super-tough, American-made, mountain bike for the coming winter. One that can take punishment and BMX-style rough riding without blinking an eye. I'll have to do some research and talk to bike people.

Checking folding chairs is indeed weird. Why take 'em if you're gonna check 'em?

Snifff, since mine was just stolen, I guess I'll have to do some investigation too. My super-tough, American-made, ugly old mountain bike is gone. What a sad morning. Wah.

Y, I thought you had a recumbent--is that the Schwinn you're referring to?! What are the pros & cons of a recumbent? I will definitely take a look at the ReUse Center, too.

Yes, ma'am: I have the 'bent and a regular Schwinn hybrid too, for winter-biking (the 'bent is not so good in winter due to its greater weight and lesser maneuverability).

Pros and Cons:
Pros: comfort! You can bike all day, and I have! Smoother ride. Looks cool. No bike-butt or stiff shoulders. Another 10 miles? Why, I think I shall! Good hauling bike/workhorse.

Cons: Does not fit on bus bike racks. Heavier. Initial purchase more expensive. Proper recumbents are much less visible, thus much more dangerous, than regular bikes. Mine is a big, visible semi-recumbent.